The last few days have been colder than usual for this time of the year, and they have certainly been the coldest ones so far this winter. I am not enjoying it at all except for the fact that the cold weather is really bringing the birds out of the woods to the feeding stations. Not only are they looking for food, but they are also looking for water. Most of the shallow water around here today was only just starting to thaw this afternoon by 2 pm. Warm, drinkable water is nearly as important as high calorie foods that provide the energy needed to get through the frigid nights. When I went out this morning to feed and water, there were quite a few birds and squirrels waiting for me. Among them were several eastern phoebes (Sayornis phoebe). There have been some phoebes here for a couple of months and they come around once in a while, but until today never more than one at a time. They also rarely come to eat. They will occasionally fly in and snatch a mealworm, but most of the time they just observe. Today, though, all the phoebes were making repeated trips to both the food and the water. It made me happy to be able to provide them and all the others with something to make life just a little bit easier for them.